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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27731737">Down the Rabbit Hole</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteMoonlight/pseuds/WhiteMoonlight'>WhiteMoonlight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Once Upon A Dream [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A healthy dose of familial angst, Canon has provided us, F/M, I'm going to do my best to milk the shit out of the angst, Mentions of Violence, She dearly wants to punch the guys on a near-daily basis, This is will probably be more slice-of-life than some of you are used to, a past, and physical description, mc has a name</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:14:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27731737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteMoonlight/pseuds/WhiteMoonlight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl is suddenly transported to an unfamiliar world filled with dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. But she miraculously finds herself a supportive group of friends and a love eternal. However, she soon discovers that there is more to this world than first meets the eye and is entangled in a fight for the very future of not only her new friends but also her own life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dire Crowley/OFC (past relationship), Grim &amp; Deuce Spade &amp; Ace Trappola &amp; Original Character(s), Malleus Draconia/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Once Upon A Dream [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Hand in the Mirror</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Looking around, it appeared she was in some sort of chamber. What happened? Curiosity made her itch to explore, but somehow the mirror floating on top of the dais in the middle of the room had trapped her gaze.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Ah, my dearly beloved.” </em>
</p>
<p>“Who’s there?!” She whipped her head around, but she saw no one. She was alone. Physically, at least. The mirror suddenly lit up with green flames. Somehow, this didn’t bother her in the least because her feet continued carrying her forward.</p>
<p>(When had she even started walking?)</p>
<p><em>“A lovely and noble flower of evil.”</em> She heard… shackles (or metal chains) jingling with each step she took.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Truly, you are the most beautiful of all.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Mirror, mirror on the wall.” </em>
</p>
<p><em>“Who is the…?”</em> The flames disappeared an image of a Victorian carriage with a coffin inside replacing it. A pair of skeletal horses were pulling it along the path. And a headless driver to match. <em>The Dullahan</em>, her mind whispered. Again, this didn’t shock her as much as it should’ve. The carriage soon arrived at a metal gate, beyond which stood a Gothic castle. A full moon hung low in the sky. As soon as this scene appeared, it disappeared, the green flames returning.</p>
<p><em>“Those who are guided by the Dark Mirror… As long as your heart desires it…”</em> A hand appeared in the mirror. Longing, desperation, and heartache filled her. A voice whispered to her if she didn’t grab this hand now, the person this hand belonged to would be in grave danger.</p>
<p><em>“Take the hand that appears in the mirror…”</em> She saw her own hand lift and reach toward the mirror. First fingers, then palms… The mirror hand stroked its thumb across her knuckles as if to reassure her everything would be alright. She gripped it tighter if only to silence the voice in her head that was bemoaning her curiosity and thrice-damned bleeding heart for the vulnerable. The hand returned the force of her grip. She could sense that the hand was… laughing. At her? She couldn’t help the little pout appearing on her face. She wasn’t that funny. The hand didn’t respond (because how on earth could a hand respond?) but if there’d been a face attached to it, she’d have sworn on everything she owned that it’d be smirking.</p>
<p>
  <em>“For me. For you. For him. For them. We are all running out of time.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“</em>
  <em>No matter what, never let go of my hand.”</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Break in Solemnity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Floating coffins, talking raccoons, and getting mistaken for a student. She really shouldn't have had that extra cup of mead.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>*Bang* *Thud* *Thud*<br/>Ow… *hiss* Her head felt like it was going to split open. Gingerly, she rubbed her temple. What in Merlin’s name was making that noise? Judging by the sounds and movement, whoever or whatever it was, they were determined to get her out of here.<br/>“Where is here, anyway?” she muttered. Feeling around, she determined she was in a wooden coffin.<br/>“Crap,” a harried voice muttered. “People are coming. Gotta get a uniform while… Grrr!! The lid is too heavy! Time for… my secret move! GUWAHUUH! There!”<br/>The lid blasted off and the girl shot up in shock. Blue flames surrounded the coffin (Grandda?! The girl thought frantically), creating an eerie glow when mixed with the green lamps overhead. They disappeared as quickly as they came, leaving behind a chamber very similar to the one in her dream.<br/>“Ok, ok. Gotta get…” the voice from before sounded like it was sneaking up on her. No, that wasn’t Grandda’s voice. The flickering hope in her heart died.<br/>“GAAAAAAHHH!! Why are you up?!” The voice, it turned out, belonged to a grey, raccoon-like creature with a pitchfork-shaped tail and ears made from the same blue fire. And it was talking. A talking creature.<br/>“Merlin and Morgana, I knew I shouldn’t have drunk that extra cup of mead,” she muttered. “Now, I’m dreaming of talking raccoons.”<br/>“Just who are you calling a raccoon?!” he shouted.<br/>“Do you see anyone else with a tail around here?”<br/>“I am the Great Grim! Well, whatever. Hey, human! Hurry and gimme those clothes! Other – Hey, wait up!”<br/>She didn’t wait for the “Great Grim” to finish before she was jumping out of the coffin and sprinting for the door.<br/>It was dark out and there were no lanterns, much less electrical lights, to light her way. Thankfully, she’d always had good vision, even at night, and it served her well now, allowing her to avoid collisions with walls and columns. As she ran down the hallway, she could see she was in some sort of castle. From what she saw of the structures across the courtyard, it looked to be Gothic. She sprinted past several rooms that looked like classrooms. Clattering down the stairs, she dashed into a smaller courtyard, then made a sharp right turn into another hallway. This hallway led straight into a library. Except, here books were floating around. And the same green lamps from the mirror chamber were here as well.<br/>“Ok, I’ve had enough dreaming. I’d like to wake up now,” the girl announced to the empty air.<br/>Nothing. Not even a peep.<br/>“Bloody hell.”<br/>Suddenly, those familiar blue flames erupted around her again.<br/>“Did you really think you’d get away from my nose? Dumb human! If you don’t wanna get roasted, better hand over –”<br/>She heard the whistle of the lash as it flew through the air, mere seconds before it came into contact with the creature’s body, wrapping around him.<br/>“Buwah!? OW! What’s with this rope?”<br/>“This is no mere rope. It is a lash of love!” A tall man, she reckoned somewhere around 180 cm, with black hair, a top hat, and a half-mask resembling a raven’s beak, stepped into the light. He wore something similar to a suit under a large coat with black feathers sprouting from the collar. His fingers were covered with sharp, golden coverings. His yellow eyes glared at the creature, making sure he had a good grip on it. When they shifted to her, though, his entire demeanor changed.<br/>“Ah, found you at last. Are you one of the new students? You shouldn’t do things like that. Leaving the Gate on your own!” He reprimanded her. “Not only that, but you have yet to tame your familiar which has broken several school rules.”<br/>He flung so much information at her, but she did grasp onto the important bits.<br/>“Wait a minute, I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I’m not a student here. I just woke up in that chamber. And that’s not my familiar.”<br/>Gods, what she would give for Loki to be here.<br/>“Yeah, I’m not her familiar!” the creature yelled. “Let me go!” he struggled against the whip that held it captive.<br/>“My goodness. It’s unprecedented for a new student to leave the Gate on their own. Uuugh… How impatient can you be? The entrance ceremony is already well underway. Let’s head to the Hall of Mirrors.”<br/>“But I’m NOT a student!” She protested.<br/>“Of course, you are! Or you wouldn’t have appeared at the Gate. All students who wish to attend this academy must pass through one of those doors to arrive here. Normally, students wake up only after the door is opened with a special key but…”<br/>She pointed to the still-struggling creature, “I think it must have been… this creature. His blue fire blasted the lid off.”<br/>“So, in the end, the culprit appears to be this familiar. If you’re going to bring it with you, you have to take responsibility and properly take care of it.”<br/>“I told you already –!”<br/>“Oh my! Now isn’t the time to be long-winded. The entrance ceremony will be coming to an end soon. Let’s get a move on.” He grasped her upper arm and dragged her out of the library. It was as he dragged her, she took notice she wasn’t wearing her usual shirt and jeans, but a black robe with a golden border twisting and winding its way across the border. The insides were dyed a dark purple with the same golden border. There was a hood as well; she flipped it up and hid her hair as best as possible. Thank the Gods, she was at least wearing her trusty black ballet flats.<br/>“It appears the teleportation magic has left you disoriented…”<br/>Teleportation magic… Knots began forming in her stomach. Dear Gods, she hoped her suspicions were wrong.<br/>“Well, it is fine. It happens often enough. I shall give you an explanation as we make our way there. For I am gracious.”<br/>The man cleared his throat, “This is Night Raven College. Those magicians blessed with a unique aptitude for magic gather from all over the world, here at the most prestigious magical academy in Twisted Wonderland. And I am the headmaster, appointed to take care of this academy by the board chairman, Dire Crowley.”<br/>Bloody hell, she didn’t know if she should thank her lucky stars the Unseelie Court hadn’t gotten to her or stuck in a place (country? Continent?) she’d never even heard of.<br/>“Magicians?” She tilted her head.<br/>“Only those magicians seen as worthy by the Dark Mirror can attend this school. Chosen ones use the Gate and are summoned here from around the world. An Ebony Carriage carrying a gate should have gone to meet you as well.”<br/>“Now that you mention it… I remember seeing such a carriage.”<br/>“The Ebony Carriage goes to welcome new students chosen by the Dark Mirror. They are special carriages that carry the doors to the academy. The market decided long ago that carriages are used to welcome people on special days.”<br/>“Wait, so you’re telling me that the carriage brought me here on its own!?”<br/>And how in Merlin’s name did they find her!?<br/>The creature known as Grim let out a few spirited shouts against Headmaster Crowley’s hand, but it led nowhere.<br/>“Come,” the headmaster continued as if neither of his two companions had uttered a sound. “Let’s go to the entrance ceremony.” He dragged her along behind him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Excuse the Hogwarts lingo. That fandom has been embedded into my very soul.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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